Of White And Gold
by uck
Summary: His white eyes brand him as a Hyuga. Her golden eyes mark her as the last of a once-powerful clan of mercenary assassins that fell generations before. She tries but cannot ignore her family's bloody legacy, especially after it is discovered that it had a hand in her loved ones' death. It is a burden she is fated to bear, and no one understands that better than him. (NejiOC)
1. Chapter 1: The Chuunin Exams

EDITED. A LOT. Pretty much rewriting the whole thing haha. All for you guys. Have fun!

Previous A/N:

This is my first fic in about 7 years (the last one I made was before shippuden was out in the anime), so I guess I'm kinda rusty. Haha.

I created Kaida in my head as an OC pairing for Neji, but after a while I focused more on her personal and family history in my head, because it kinda fascinated me. That's the main reason I wrote this down. Hehe. So yeah, this is NejiOC, but I haven't worked out that development yet. We'll see.

As usual, reviews are much appreciated (good or bad, but constructive please. No flames. Do people still say flames? I'm getting old. Fine, no irrational hate or badmouthing please.) And... enjoy!

_For those not in the know:_

_-sama: denotes "master"_

_onii-chan/nii-chan: brother_

_Tsuki, in Tsukimaru's name, means "moon". "Aka" means red, and "yami" means dark (If I remember correctly). And Kaida means "little dragon." I like dragons._

* * *

The sun beat down on Akayami Kaida as she raced down the streets of Konoha Village, her short katana bumping gently against her back in its sheath.

_I'm going to be late._

Her dark red hair swung back and forth in its short, loose ponytail at the base of her neck as she ran. She brushed away the bangs that hung mostly on the left side of her face, and squinted up with golden eyes through the sunlight, at the tiny speck that flew above her. The hawk screeched, and descended to hover several meters above her, slowing to match her pace.

"Go ahead, and tell me what you see."

The bird rose, and was soon lost to view. Kaida took a right down a narrow alley, and at its end leaped up on a low roof. She ran down to the left, and took a running jump to the next rooftop. She moved swiftly from one building to the next, cursing herself for grossly oversleeping.

_Tsukimaru should be there by now._

She concentrated, feeling for her hawk's presence in her mind. It did not take long. He knew she was looking for him. She paused atop a tall building, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was flying. Tsukimaru dove, and so did she, as she rode in his mind and saw through his eyes. It was a special gift that allowed them to fly together, and they could do so with no one else.

Tsukimaru was a rare breed of ninja hawk, known by some as a dragon-hawk. _Ryuu no taka._ They were highly intelligent, and larger and faster than the messenger hawks used by the villages. On top of that, a dragon-hawk bonded with one shinobi for life, in mind and sometimes even in chakra. Kaida had found the bird outside her window one night, when she was seven years old. He had been injured, and unable to fly. She had nursed him back to health with her brother's help, and he had been at her side ever since. The moon had been full that night, and so they had named him Tsukimaru.

The hawk perched on a tree branch, and surveyed the crowd below. Kaida looked for familiar faces amidst the many that were gathered outside the Forest of Death. She found who she was looking for, and gave a start when he looked her way.

_Of course he can see me. He sees everything._

She blinked, and was back behind her own eyes again. Smiling, she took off.

* * *

Kaida stopped at the top of a rock formation overlooking the crowd gathered outside the forest, dusting off her kimono-like top and black pants. Its plunging v-neck and steep slits on either side revealed the tube mesh armor she wore beneath, while the auburn color lined with black clashed with her burgundy hair. Mesh armguards protected her forearms, while a plain black cloth choker was wrapped around her neck. The Konoha forehead protector shone bright atop her brow, and so did the pools of gold beneath it.

She jumped down, and was joined by Tsukimaru on her shoulder. He nuzzled against her as she stroked his feathers.

Most of the crowd had paid no heed to her arrival, although some had turned to look at her. She ignored them, and instead waved at the one who was coming her way. There was no mistaking the pink Chinese-style blouse, or the twin hair buns.

"Neji said you were coming." said Tenten, grinning as Tsukimaru squawked a greeting.

"Yeah, he saw Tsuki." Kaida chuckled. "He never misses a thing. How's the exam?"

"You should've signed up this year." Tenten told her as they began to walk over to where the other teams were waiting. "I'm sure you could've gone with another team, or something."

She shook her head. "Nah. I'm not ready."

"Are you kidding? You've been ready since you graduated!"

"You guys waited a year."

"But you graduated a year before we did, and you've already taken the exam once before."

Kaida stopped. "Don't remind me." She clenched her fist, and her nails dug into her palm.

Tenten paused, and dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's okay." She gave the other kunoichi a small smile. "I know you meant well. And you're probably right. I could take the exam if I wanted to, but..." She shook her head. "Not now. Not yet."

"Then when?" The voice made them turn.

"When I'm ready." She answered coolly.

"I wonder when that will be." Hyuga Neji stood across from them, his arms folded. He turned to Tenten. "Lee was looking for you."

"Later." She said, and left them.

Kaida sighed, and gave him an exasperated smile. "Well, hello to you too."

"You okay?" The white-eyed shinobi leaned against a tree. Tsukimaru flew over and perched on a branch above him.

"Yeah." She gazed absently at the forest, remembering how she'd felt when she'd stood outside those same gates two years before - nervous, but resolute. She had feared nothing as long as she was with her team. _But now..._

A woman's voice, sharp and clear, jolted her out of her reverie. The teams were assembling. She turned to Neji.

"That's your cue."

"Yeah." He moved away from the tree, looking over to where the genins were gathering.

"I doubt you guys need it, but... good luck all the same."

"Thanks. You'll be watching?" He smirked.

"Of course we will." She smiled as Tsukimaru perched on her forearm.

As he walked away, she returned to the rock formation she'd stood on when she arrived. She sat as the teams moved towards their respective gates, some way out of sight. Neji's team was closest to her. She whistled, and he looked back and smiled as Tenten and Lee waved. Just then, the clock struck 2:30 pm and the gates opened. The forest swallowed them whole, and Kaida was left alone.

* * *

It was late afternoon, and Kaida sat still atop the rock, golden eyes glazed over, unseeing. Tsukimaru wove in and out of the trees, foliage passing in a green blur. Nothing much had happened in the first hour, but that was to be expected. Kaida sighed, and stretched her arms.

"Enjoying the view, Kaida?"

"Tsuki, take a break." A blink, and her eyes were her own again. She stood, and bowed. "Hokage-sama, I..."

The Third Hokage chuckled. "It's alright, child." He walked forward to stand level with her, and looked down at the forest. "Are you sure you're content with just watching?"

She lowered her eyes. "Yes, sir."

The Third sighed, and looked up at the clouds. "I remember your first exam." He said after a while. "There were so few of you who made it through the forest that there were no preliminaries, just the main matches."

"And I was supposed to be in those matches, with my team." She bit her lip. "Onii-chan was so proud."

He looked at her again. "Child, no one could have seen it coming."

"If I had been there, with them-"

"You would have been killed too, and then what?" He said sternly, but his gaze softened when he how dejected she was.

"I'll make you a deal." He said after a pause. Kaida looked up.

"The gong will sound fifteen minutes before the time for the second exam is up. You will enter the forest, and if you can make it to the tower in under an hour, then you can watch the preliminaries - if there are any. Deal?"

A grin lit up her previously solemn face. "Yes, sir!"

"Very well. I'll see you in a few days' time." He turned to leave. "Oh, and Kaida, on your way to the tower..."

"Yes, sir?"

He looked back at her and smiled. "No flying."

* * *

On the last day of the exam, Kaida perched on top of the fence as Tsukimaru perched on her shoulder. She had planned out her route before hand, choosing to travel along the line of trees beside the river.

_BONG!_

She leaped off the fence and onto a branch, while Tsuki flew level with the tops of the trees on their right, with the river on their left. As she moved from tree to tree, she mulled over what she had seen over the past few days. _The exams this year are turning out to be quite interesting. Too bad I'm not in them._

The gong had chimed a second time to signal the end of the second stage when she paused at the edge of a cliff, a waterfall connecting the river to her left and the one down below. She crouched, and peered down. The cliff sloped at an angle instead of dropping straight down, and although the rocks were smooth and slippery close to where the water ran over them, the rest of the face was rough. It would be easy to run down.

And she did. The air stung her face as she accelerated towards the ground, but she didn't care. About halfway down, she could see that the river ran deep at the base of the falls, and that there were no rocks. _Oh, why not?_

She ran hard to her left, towards the rushing water, and pushed herself off one of the smooth stones that jutted out from the cliff face, her arms spread wide open as she swan-dived into the river. Tsukimaru met her, flapping above the water as her head broke the surface. She splashed water at him, and he screeched at her reproachfully as she swam and walked up to the banks of the river.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." She laughed as she wrung water out of her dark red hair, and jumped up onto the nearest branch. Her clothes would dry out as she made her way to the tower.

She made good time, and met no resistance the rest of the way. The examinees who didn't make it were probably outside the training ground by now. One of the chuunin patrolling the base of the tower met her, and opened one of the doors. _Hokage-sama must have told them I was coming._

She found herself in a large room, and Tsukimaru perched himself on her shoulder. The setting was familiar to her, and brought back memories of her first exam. She crossed the room and went through a door, and found a staircase. Upon reaching the top, she walked down a short hallway with a couple of doors on either side. Muffled voices could be heard through one of the doors. As she approached, it opened, and she was met by Mitarashi Anko, the jounin in charge of the second stage of the Chunnin Exams.

"Eh? OI! What are you... You're not supposed to... OH." Realization dawned on her face, and she chuckled apologetically. "Hehe. Sorry about that. You're the one the Third is expecting, right? He's inside."

Kaida exhaled. Anko had almost given her a heart attack, and Tsukimaru had practically fallen off her shoulder. "It's okay. Thank you, Anko-sensei." The examiner didn't seem to hear. She'd left in a hurry, distracted. Kaida shrugged and entered the room.

"Kaida. Just in time." The Third Hokage smiled at her. The two ANBU guarding him seemed to be watching her as she entered. It was always hard to tell, with their masks on. She was suddenly more aware of the weight of the sword on her back, which resembled the ones on theirs.

"Hokage-sama, thank you again." She bowed. So did Tsukimaru.

"It was my pleasure, child. By the way, there are twenty-one examinees who made it through. Since they're pairing off, we might need an extra opponent..." He smiled at her. "You might just get to fight today."

"Really? Thank you, Hokage-sama!" She was overjoyed, but something he had said gave her pause. _Twenty-one. Almost twice the number in my exam. _Only twelve genins had made it through two years previously, too few for preliminary matches. _I doubt Anko-sensei would make the exam easy._ Her fingers twitched in anticipation. _This should be fun._

* * *

I think this runs a lot smoother now.

Previous A/N:

I hope you enjoyed!

Side note: This part of the story progresses similar to the actual events in Naruto. I pretty much just inserted Kaida, since I thought that the exams would be a good introductory setting. Don't worry, I won't just keep writing her into stuff from the series. Haha. See you next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2: The Preliminary Matches

EDITED. Quite a bit :))

Previous A/N: Time for the preliminaries! Again, this follows what happened in the actual Chuunin Exam Arc, with the exception of Kaida, of course, so some lines might be the same. I'm not entirely sure actually. Just a little disclaimer: This is a fanfic, Masashi Kishimoto owns everything Naruto. Any similarities are well, because I'm basing it off the original. I don't claim those.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Kaida stood to the side, with some of the jounins and chunnins. She wasn't used to standing in front of so many people, but she resisted the urge to fidget. Instead she focused on what Gekkou Hayate, the examiner, was saying about the rules,.

"There appears to be an odd number of participants. Having a participant fight two matches would be unfair. In addition to fatigue and injuries, his or her opponent will have the advantage of knowing his or her skills beforehand. Hokage-sama has offered a solution. In case of an odd number of participants, one of you will be fighting _her_."

Every eye in the room seemed to turn its gaze on her. The hawk on her shoulder leaned forward menacingly, threatening to unfold its wings. She muttered soothingly to him, but met their stares evenly, and looked at each of them in turn. Tenten grinned at her, and she winked back. Her golden eyes caught Neji's. His brow furrowed slightly, and he gave her a questioning look. Kaida just shrugged and smiled.

One of the Sand genin, Kankurou, raised his hand. "How do we know if she's any good? And if she beats one of us, isn't it unfair for her to go on to the main matches?"

The Third cleared his throat. "If Kaida wins, neither she nor her opponent will be going on to the main matches, as she is not an examinee. As for her skill level…" He glanced at Kaida. "She participated in the Chuunin exams two years ago, and made it as far as you have now. Apart from that, her strength should not matter. You face genins of varying strengths in this exam, she is no different."

"If she made it this far, but didn't become Chuunin, doesn't that mean she lost?" Kankurou smirked.

Kaida decided to answer for herself. "Only twelve of us made it through the forest two years ago. Few enough that we didn't need preliminary matches."

"So what happened to your fight?"

"I forfeited." She replied without hesitation. "And I don't think I'm obligated to tell you why." Tsukimaru gave a short screech, and lifted himself off her shoulder, glaring at Kankurou.

"In any case," Hayate interjected with a cough, "She may not fight at all. You are free to give up or forfeit at any time you wish. Should some of you give up, we might not even need an extra participant. Are there any who wish to leave now?"

Silence. Kaida called Tsukimaru back down on her shoulder. After a while, a hand went up.

"I'm in no condition to fight." The grey-haired shinobi said with a smile. "I've suffered quite a few injuries, and my chakra's all but depleted. I have no wish to risk my life unnecessarily." He left.

Hayate coughed, and spoke to Kaida. "Sorry kid, guess today just wasn't your day." He coughed some more.

Kaida sighed. "It's fine." She nodded to the Third.

After Hayate finished explaining the rules, the genins, along with their jounin teachers, ascended to the upper level to watch the first fight. Tsukimaru flew up and perched on the statue on the front wall of the room. Kaida walked over to Team Gai.

"I knew you guys would make it through."

"Too bad you didn't get to fight. I would pay to see you beat up that Sand guy." Tenten grinned.

"Don't worry; the day's still young." Kaida said drily.

Tenten went over to Lee, who waved. "Kaida! Good to see you!" She waved back, and Lee turned to talk to the blond kid on the other team, which she saw was headed by Hatake Kakashi. _Ex-ANBU. Like my brother._

The blond kid was looking at her quizzically. When she met his gaze, he panicked and turned away quickly. She raised an eyebrow. _Do I look that scary?_

"Hey."

"Hi." She knew who it was before she turned to face him. She smiled.

"How did you get here?" Neji asked.

"I walked." She said coolly.

He sighed, exasperated. "Kaida."

"Cherish the moment, it's not every day you get to hear me crack a joke." Neji raised his eyebrow. Kaida sighed. "Fine. Hokage-sama saw me and Tsuki watching the forest a couple of days back, and told me if I made it here before the matches, I could watch. Happy?"

"I guess." The slightest hint of a smile played on his face. "And I guess it's good to see you, too."

"Yeah, good to see you." She grinned.

Just then, the first preliminary match began, and everyone turned their attention to the combatants, Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi. Kaida watched them fight in silence. _Not bad, but not what I'd expect from an Uchiha. _She thought, as Sasuke left the arena with Kakashi. _The forest must've got to him._

Watching the next three matches made her restless. She would have relished a fight with any of the combatants, but Kabuto quitting made that impossible, and she cursed him for it. _Stupid four-eyes. _Tsuki had returned to perch on the railings, and could sense her unease. He squawked in concern, and Kaida stroked him reassuringly.

When Tenten's name was called, Kaida wished her luck.

"For all we know you might need it." Kaida winked.

Tenten chuckled. "Thanks. I'll make a few hits for you."

As the kunoichi went down, Kaida watched her opponent. _Sand. And that fan isn't just for show. _She gripped the rails in front of her tightly. _Watch out, Tenten._

The battle began, and Kaida was torn between fascination from Temari's techniques, and anxiety for her friend.

"That wind's infused with chakra." Said Neji.

"Yeah, and unfortunately for Tenten, wind can cut sharper than any blade."

"True. Her technique is similar to yours."

"Yes, but hers utilizes brute force more than mine does." She grimaced as Temari repelled Tenten's attack again, and forced her back. "It works though."

Neji nodded, and they watched as Tenten unleashed her final attack, to no avail. Kaida sighed.

"She never stood a chance." She said softly as they carried her friend away on a stretcher.

Neji said nothing for a while, and then turned to her. "Would you have won against her?"

Kaida pursed her lips. "Hard to tell. I might have been able to counter her attacks, but she might have something else up her sleeve."

The next couple of battles proved to be full of surprises. _I didn't think the Nara kid would be a pushover, but I didn't expect him to be that resourceful either. As for that Naruto kid, _She smiled inwardly, _He's turning out to be something else, despite all appearances._

The names on the screen jerked her out of her thoughts.

_Hyuga Neji vs Hyuga Hinata. _

She placed her hand on Neji's shoulder.

"Neji." He didn't respond, and it bothered her. She had a bad feeling about this match. "Neji, listen…" She sighed, and struggled for words. "Just… don't overdo it, okay?" She gave his shoulder a last squeeze, and let him go. He went down without a word, and the fight began.

Kaida watched almost breathlessly, her whole body tense. She wanted Neji to win, of course, but she didn't want Hinata hurt either. _Give up. Do yourself a favour and give up. _

But she didn't. Even with her chakra points closed, and the battle all but lost, she didn't give up. _He hit her vital points. Anything more and he's going to kill her. But he wouldn't…would he?_ She gripped the railings so hard her knuckles turned white.

Hinata rushed towards Neji, her palm outstretched. Neji dodged with ease, and hit her straight in the chest. The kunoichi collapsed on the ground.

_Did he kill her?_

Neji walked away from the still form, while Hayate moved towards her. He was just about to declare the winner when the blond kid interrupted.

"Don't! Don't stop the match!"

Kaida looked at him with disdain. "Are you fucking _insane_? She's down. If she tries to move, she could die!" He ignored her, and smiled down at the arena. She looked over herself, as Tsukimaru gave out a triumphant cry. Kaida hushed him.

_No, don't get up. Stay down. Play dead. _

Despite her silent pleas, the soft-spoken kunoichi still stood defiantly. Hinata was saying something, but she didn't catch the words. Whatever it was, it made Neji angry, and she saw him charge at her.

_NO. _

She needed to act, fast. Before she knew what she was doing, she was over the railings, and in the middle of the arena. She heard Tsukimaru's panicked screech. Neji was only a few feet away, and the space was closing fast between them. There was no time for hand seals. She met his eyes, and braced herself for the impact.

* * *

That's a wrap, peeps! Reviews much appreciated, thanks :D


	3. Chapter 3: All That Remains

Again, I don't own Naruto :) Kishimoto-sama has that honor. Some lines/actions are from what actually happened in the legit episodes.

Thanks for reading so far! Unfortunately I don't think I can update as often as I'd like. Apart from writer's block, I have college to deal with (the pains of being a math major haha!). Still, thank you for the support (reviews and faves)!

Btw, for Dragon Age peeps, the title of the chapter may sound familiar :)

* * *

The impact never came. Neji had swerved to the side at the last second, the chakra from his hands barely grazing her blouse. Hayate, Kakashi, ad the other jounins stood around them.

"The jounins..." He looked around at them. "Why so much protection for the _head family_?"

"You promised you wouldn't fight about this anymore, Neji." said Gai.

Neji straightened up as Kurenai rushed over to Hinata, who had collapsed in a fit of coughing. He glared at Kaida.

"_You._"

"Me."

"I could have _killed _you." He was furious.

"You could've killed _her,_" Her voice had grown cold. "But somehow that doesn't seem to bother you." With that, she walked past him, as a couple of other genins rushed to Hinata's side. Tsuki alighted on her shoulder, nuzzling her. She found herself in front of the Third Hokage.

"Sir, I would like to request permission to leave, if that's okay?" She bowed.

"Granted." Nodding, he turned his gaze to the commotion in the middle of the arena, and sighed. Kaida silently agreed. She bowed her thanks, and made her way towards the exit.

"Your brother probably would've done the same thing." She froze in her tracks, and came face to face with Hatake Kakashi. "Akayami Yukito." It wasn't a question.

She nodded, not knowing what to say.

"He was a good kid."

"Yeah, he was." She murmured, and hurriedly walked to the door. It slammed shut behind her.

* * *

They were at the village center when Kaida paused and turned to Tsuki, who had been flying alongside her.

"You go on ahead. I'll meet you back home."

The hawk took off in the direction of their apartment, and Kaida went in the opposite direction, towards the Konoha cemetery. It was getting dark, and she could barely make out the names on the graves. Still, she had no problem finding them. She doubted she would have trouble even in total darkness.

"Hi, 'Nii-chan." She sat across from her brother's grave, which was flanked by two others: the graves of her teammates, the Tanaka twins. "Hi Kyoshiro, Kinta. It's that time of the year again." She said softly.

Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her lap and sat in silence, burying her head in her hands. She remembered how they had gotten through the forest themselves two years earlier, and how proud her brother - their sensei - had been when they were told that they would participate in the main matches.

_We'd made it so far. Together. We weren't just a team, we were a family._

For most of their lives, they'd had no one but each other. The Tanaka twins had lost their parents to the Kyuubi, while Kaida's parents were murdered a couple of years later. Yukito had just graduated from the academy then, and all too soon the burden of raising his little sister to ninjahood fell on his shoulders. Despite that, he was an excellent shinobi, and was even drafted into the ANBU for a couple of years. He'd been reluctant to accept because of Kaida, but she was firm.

"It's time you did something for _you_." She had insisted. "I'll be fine. I have the twins, we'll look after each other."

And they did. They always had since they'd first met at the academy, when Kaida had just been accepted. She'd been a troublemaker from the beginning, always picking fights with the older students (which she sometimes won). One day when a group of older kids ganged up on her, the twins, who were a year older themselves, came to her rescue. They beat up the other kids, and got into trouble for it, but at the end of the day they left with smiles as well as bruises. Yukito had just laughed when he saw them, and took to the twins immediately. After that, Kaida had always felt like she had three brothers, instead of one.

_And now I have none. _She pounded her fist into the ground. _It's not fair._

"I know you're there." She said, not bothering to look.

"I wasn't hiding." Neji walked up to her.

"I'm not apologizing for earlier."

"I don't expect you to."

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't. But I had a feeling you'd want to talk to them." He nodded at the graves.

"You were right." She stood up. "Though it's not as much talking as, well... just being. Here. With them." She raised her golden eyes to the heavens, watching the stars flicker, and fade as the clouds rolled in. "You fought well today."

He said nothing.

"Okay, I give up. Why are you here?" She said, almost irritably.

"You left in a hurry."

"I'm pretty sure you'd be bothered too if you saw your friend almost kill his cousin."

He gave her a look.

"What? I'm pretty sure you'd be more than a little pissed if you were me." She scowled at him, then lowered her gaze. "I've never seen you lose it like that. And she's your cousin, for god's sake."

"It's not that simple."

"Really?"

"You wouldn't understand. No, you _can't__. _You can't possibly know what it's like to grow up as a part of the branch family." He shook his head, his fists clenched. "To be born for a destiny like ours."

"You're right. I can't possibly understand. But she's still family, Neji, whether you like it or not. And sometimes, family's all you've got." She knelt close to her brother's grave, tracing the inscription of his name. _And now I don't even have that._

A heavy silence followed, broken only by the wind blowing through the nearby trees, and in the distance, the muted sounds of the village.

"Why do you watch?" He asked suddenly. Kaida looked up. "After everything that happened, why do you still watch the Chuunin exams, and never take them?"

She stood, clutching her arms close. The wind was gentle, a caress on her skin. It was almost comforting. "They're all I have left." she whispered. "Memories. All I have left of them are memories. And the Chuunin exams..." Her nails dug into her skin. "Getting through that forest was the last thing we did together as a team. Our last mission. When I watch the exams, it's almost as if I can see them. I almost feel as if they were still here." Her voice was breaking. "But I can't take the exam now, I _can't. _I can't do it without them. The minute I go in there with another team..." She shook her head violently. "It won't be the same. They'll be _gone."_

She felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder, and blinked back the tears that threatened to come. After a few moments, she calmed down.

"I'm sorry." He said finally.

"It's okay." She muttered, and placed her hand on top of his.

For a few minutes, they stood in silence amid the graves, and then Kaida let go. "It's getting late." She gave him a small smile.

"Yeah."

She turned back to the graves. "Bye, guys. I miss you."

They nodded to each other, and left without another word. Rain began to fall softly, and behind them the stones wept.

* * *

And that's a wrap! Review, review, review!


	4. Chapter 4: Dreams

I am so sorry for the late update, readers! Been really busy with school and my org I'll try to update more frequently, but the coming weeks look really packed. But for you, my dear readers, I will do my best. Enjoy! And review! And share! :)

* * *

_Three weeks later..._

Even miles away from the village, the smell of blood was still fresh in her nostrils. The sound of a scream still rang in her ears long after the sound had died. Who's scream was it? Hers?

Maybe she was still screaming.

The forest was dark, moonlight barely creeping through the gaps between the leaves. She dashed almost blindly from tree to tree, ignoring the cuts and splinters as branches raked her skin.

_Where is he? Find him, find him, FIND HIM._

She screamed the command in her mind, so strong that Tsukimaru balked mid-flight, but he kept going. The pain and panic in his partner's thoughts drove him on.

_We might already be too late._

She cried out, halfway between a yell and a sob, and fresh tears stung her eyes, running through the rivulets of the ones that had already dried on her cheeks. She almost lost her footing, and gasped as her ankle twisted painfully. Still she moved onward, despite the throbbing ache in her foot.

Tsukimaru screeched out ahead, and she looked through his eyes for an instant, long enough to see an abandoned structure in a clearing below. She jumped down at the edge of the trees. The hideaway was covered in a thicket of overgrown shrubbery and vines.

She pressed her hands together in a dragon seal, and swept her arms in a wide arc. The vines fell to pieces, and she sprinted towards the entrance of the hideout. The door was ajar, and there were no guards. As she crossed the threshold, she heard a bloodcurdling scream.

_No, not him too... NO!_

She raced down the corridor, shrieking his name, because she knew it was his voice. How could she not when she'd heard it all her life?

At the end of the hall was a single door, half-open. Inside she heard a strangled cry, and a voice calling out.

_"Kaida..."_

She burst in the room, and time stopped. She heard a scream again, this time somewhere close. It seemed to go on for hours, until she realized that it was her screaming. Screaming at the sight of the mangled body on the floor.

* * *

Kaida woke up, breathless and drenched in sweat, tears running down her cheeks. She sat up and buried her face in the blanket, shuddering. Tsukimaru perched on the windowsill above her bed, squawking sleepily as he peered down at her. She shook her head and checked the time: 3:00am. It wasn't the first time she had woken up from a nightmare like that. In the weeks after her team's death, they had haunted her almost every night.

In the dim light, she looked up at the wall above her brother's old bed. His ANBU mask hung there, and below it his sword that Kaida had been wearing. His forehead protector lay on a small shelf between them, flanked by two unlit candles.

Reaching over to her bedside bookshelf, she picked up the picture of their team. Yukito was grinning, his spiky burgundy hair swept to one side over his forehead protector, above golden eyes that looked so much like hers. His hands rested on each of the Tanaka twins' shoulders, pulling them together to where Kaida was laughing in the middle with Tsukimaru on her arm. The twins were identical in almost every way, with their unruly jet black hair and a mischievous spark in their aquamarine eyes. She had always been able to tell them apart, though, with Kinta's grin was always a little lopsided, Kyoshiro's face a little sharper and leaner than his brother's. She hugged the picture to her chest, and collapsed back on to the bed.

"Why did they have to take you from me?" She whispered softly, as sleep began to overtake her. "Why?" And the world went dark.

* * *

Kaida rose with the dawn, feeling more tired than when she went to bed. Daylight streamed through the curtains of her one room apartment. Tsukimaru was gone, out for a morning hunt. She stood up, replacing the picture frame on the bedside table. Her stomach groaned, and she made her way to the kitchen counter for breakfast. Tsukimaru was gone, presumably hunting.

As she feasted on instant noodle, fruit, and her breakfast tea, she stared out the window pensively, recalling the dream from the night before. It hadn't just been a dream, but a flashback. And no matter how hard she tried, she could never remember what came after opening those doors. All she could recall was waking up in the Konoha hospital's intensive care unit, three days later.

She picked up the dishes and carried them to the counter. As she washed them, a shudder ran up her spine at the two year old memory. The plate slipped from her hand, causing part of the edge to break off in the sink. The water from the faucet ran gently over the pieces, washing away the grime. She picked them up, now clean, and placed them beside the sink, resolving to fix it later. _Clean and whole... but still broken._

After washing up, she changed into her usual kimono top and pants. With a week to go before the main matches, Neji's training had intensified. _I hope he takes his first match seriously. _She pulled on her shoes. Naruto had been almost out of sight for the past three weeks. _That kid is full of surprises. He can't be underestimated._

She locked the door behind her, and began her leisurely walk towards the training ground. It was still early, and she was in no rush. A screech above let her know that Tsukimaru was following her. Even at this early hour, the village was already stirring. The smells of meat buns, barbecue, and other delicacies teased her nostrils as the villagers' exchange of neighborly greetings reached her ears. The nightmare she'd had still weighed on her mind as she walked, but even a bad memory couldn't stop her from smiling as she bought a couple of riceballs from a vendor. It was home.

The training ground was empty when she reached it, as expected. A pleasant breeze blew through the trees surrounding the clearing where they had been training for the past few weeks. A couple of logs lay about its perimeter, and several trunks in the area were pockmarked from shuriken and kunai. She climbed up one such trunk, and sat on a branch, her feet dangling off the edge. She leaned back so that she was hanging upside down, her knees hooked over the wood.

"Guess I wasn't as early as I thought." She said, before flipping off of the branch and landing on her feet. "Is Tenten coming?"

"She just got assigned to a mission this morning, so no." Neji stood with his hands in the pockets of his brown shorts. "Shall we get started?"

"Well, good morning to you too." She muttered, as they moved into position.

Leaping up a tree, she drew six kunai from her pouch as Neji stood on the other side of the clearing, his back to her. Concentrating, she infused them with her chakra, and tossed them one by one up into the air, in quick succession. As the first came down, she spun a kick towards it, barely touching it but manipulating the air with the chakra from her foot. The knife spun towards Neji, singing as it sliced through the air. She did the same with each kunai that came down, using not only her feet but her hands as well, hitting each at a different angle, altering their trajectory.

On the ground, the Hyuga tensed, and all of a sudden was a blur, just barely diverting the first kunai with his chakra. He then proceeded to dodge and knock the rest aside, but, as Kaida was pleased to note, not without difficulty. Had Neji thrown his ordinary kunai to meet hers, they would have been knocked out of the way. Her blades were not only infused with her chakra. She manipulated the air around the kunai to minimize wind resistance and increase velocity, making them fly straighter, truer, faster, and deadlier than the average knife.

"I sincerely hope I'm not boring you." She said after a few rounds.

"Training is training." He replied nonchalantly.

She hopped down, looking around at the scattered kunai. "Right. Let's keep it light this morning, so we can actually fight in the afternoon."

He smirked. "Scared?"

She rolled her eyes. "Like I'd be scared of you." He said nothing, but the smirk did not disappear from his face for a bit. They spent the rest of the morning exercising his Byakugan, and practicing hand-to-hand combat without Neji using his Jyuuken.

At midday, they took a short break. Kaida tossed Neji one of the riceballs she'd bought earlier as she bit into one herself. She closed her eyes and felt around for Tsukimaru, finding him not far from where they were. He popped a quizzical thought her way. _It's nothing. Just checking up on you. _She opened her eyes and, walking over to Neji, sat down and leaned back against the tree beside him. They ate in silence for a while, and Kaida found herself drifting back to when she trained for her match. _You'll train together for the first two weeks, but alone for the next two, _he had said, _You need to develop your techniques independently. You entered as a team, but now you're on your own._ It made sense, since they might have faced each other eventually. _Well, we'll never know now, will we?_

"Hey."

She looked up. "Eh?"

"You promised me a fight after lunch." He said as he walked off to one side of the clearing.

"I did?" She stood up. "Well, I guess I can't just go around breaking promises." Neji shifted into a fighting stance as Kaida took her place opposite him.

She slid her right leg forward, keeping her weight on the balls of her feet, ready to spring. The wind stirred as she moved her hands into position.

"Let's go."

* * *

Cut! I **promise** to update as soon as humanely possible! To my loyal readers, thank you for the support, I love you dearly. Review, review, review! And if you like it, tell your friends :D


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